Blog Archive

A composite photo of the 2004 Transit of Venus by Fred Espenak.

Yet more planet transits

Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2012/06/14 11:00 CDT | 7 comments

A reader comment on Jay Pasachoff's post last week about Venus transits viewed from other planets had me asking whether transits of other planets were also interesting to astronomers. Jay provided some answers!

More Venus transits in 2012

Posted by Jay Pasachoff on 2012/06/07 04:44 CDT | 3 comments

A transit of Venus as seen from Jupiter may be observed by Hubble on September 20 and a transit of Venus as seen from Saturn will be observed by Cassini on December 21.

Not Necessarily Your Last Venus Transit!

Posted by Jim Bell on 2012/06/04 11:24 CDT | 3 comments

Unless you are lucky and healthy enough to live for another 105 years, tomorrow will be your last chance to see a Venus transit from the surface of the Earth. But this need not be the last transit of Venus that you will ever see.

Transit of Venus June 5: Why Should You Care and How to Observe

Posted by Bruce Betts on 2012/06/02 01:56 CDT | 2 comments

A rare astronomical event occurs June 5/6. Find out why you should care and how to observe it.

Some Details About Transits of Venus

Posted by David Shortt on 2012/05/22 06:02 CDT | 2 comments

The upcoming rare transit of Venus is one step in a long dance among Earth, Venus and the Sun. Transits of Venus follow a peculiar pattern—two transits 8 years apart, then 105.5 years with no transits, then two transits 8 years apart, then 121.5 years with no transits, for a total cycle of 243 years—and thereby hangs a tale.

From Glacier Point at the right, across Half Dome at center and ending at Royal Arches at the left, the path of the Milky Way over Yosemite Valley is stunning even under lighting conditions that illuminate the valley walls.

Night Sky Guide for Summer 2012

Posted by Ray Sanders on 2012/05/11 11:14 CDT

This summer should provide great opportunities for stargazers to view planets, meteor showers, the transit of Venus, and for some, the annular solar eclipse. Check out these highlights of what you can look forward to this summer.